71-year-old Steamboat Springs athlete set to compete in CrossFit Games

Ken Phillips appears proper at house among the many rigs, kettlebells, barbells and health bikes at CrossFit Steamboat as he talks about his upcoming journey to San Jose, California, the place he’ll compete within the 2026 Masters CrossFit Games.

The 71-year-old mentioned he by no means thought of himself a lot of an athlete and doesn’t have a variety of pure potential regardless of working observe in highschool. CrossFit, he mentioned, has modified his life since he walked by way of the doorways of the Steamboat Springs health facility a decade in the past.

“I dabbled with CrossFit a little bit before I moved to Steamboat,” Phillips mentioned. “When I moved here I was overweight, I hadn’t been working out, and I was actually pretty sick.”

He educated two days per week at first, and earlier than he knew it he was coming in to work out on daily basis. The enhancements have been noticeable — his weight dropped from 194 kilos to 148, and his general well being improved drastically. He mentioned he additionally set a purpose of creating the semifinals of the CrossFit Games — one thing he completed earlier this 12 months.

The CrossFit Games are a multi-day athletic competitors, that are thought of the Super Bowl of CrossFit, based on Ronni Waneka, proprietor of CrossFit Steamboat. Athletes compete in quite a lot of bodily checks starting from weightlifting to gymnastics and are judged by licensed officers who monitor exercises to make sure strict adherence to motion requirements.

The athletes are scored on time, rounds accomplished or weight lifted. The competitors has 4 levels together with a worldwide on-line competitors known as The Open. Top finishers advance to the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.

After breaking out of The Open, Phillips superior to the quarterfinals and completed within the prime 50 on the planet for a number of consecutive years. A couple of years again, he realized if he wished to step to the subsequent degree, he wanted assist. He requested Waneka for recommendation.

“She brought in another coach and the two of them set up a training program and extra training programs, as well as nutrition,” Phillips mentioned.

The subsequent two years noticed Phillips simply lacking the semifinals twice. But when the CrossFit Games added a 70-plus division this 12 months, Phillips superior to the semifinals and positioned sixth within the new grouping. The prime 5 finishers obtain an automated berth within the finals, however Phillips wanted to take first place within the Latin America Masters Division in Medellin, Colombia to safe his spot — which he did.

There are 5 regional occasions held internationally which might be a part of the CrossFit Games and supply one other route for qualification for the winners to get to the video games. Only the winners of these occasions earn an invite.

“It takes so much as for an athlete like him to make it this far because it’s not just about being fit,” Waneka mentioned. “He has to be mentally smart as far as what type of athlete he is, he needs to know what he’s doing when he gets on the floor, and he needs to have a plan and the confidence to stick to it.”

Waneka mentioned Phillips’ story is inspirational for all athletes and that the CrossFit Steamboat group is ready to get collectively for a sendoff celebration on Saturday, July 11. She added that Phillips is a good instance of how CrossFit can positively influence a person’s life — no matter health degree, athletic potential or age.

“To watch him, over the years, become a better athlete … there’s a lot that goes into getting where he is at,” Waneka mentioned. “It’s so cool, at age 71, to become so good at a sport, both physically and mentally. It’s amazing, and it’s keeping him young.”